Sr. Beth Henken, MSBT accompanied Anne Trufant, MCA to Nairobi, Kenya earlier this year. As a member of our lay branch, the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate, Anne shares in our charism’s call to “be a power for good”. Anne and her husband, David, established the charitable organization Change Lives Now back in 2007 to support the children in the Mogra Orphanage in Kenya. The following is Sr. Beth’s prayerful reflection on her experience, entitled
A Trinitarian Perspective of my African Adventure
“By our lives as Missionary Servants we seek first to glorify the Triune God.” Article 3 of the MSBT Rule of Life.
Blessed be God the Father who has created…
- Sunrise and sunsets over the Maasai Mara, a savanna where the wild animals roam
- Animals of such variety; giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, elephants, ostriches, hyenas, water buffalo, impalas, birds of many colors, hippos and rhinos
- Kenyans who are beautiful shades of browns, hospitable and welcoming and have smiles as bright as the sun
- Maasai warriors who are the shepherds of cattle, tall and lanky, robed in bright colors of red, who have ritual songs and dance and walk miles and miles
- Maasai women who build the mud houses for their family, who birth the next generation, and support the tribe with their bead work
- The children of Mogra Orphanage who number in the hundreds, laughing, playing and praying, who search out love and acceptance and a path to a better life
Blessed be God the Son who redeems…
- The suffering and misery of those who live in the slums
- The children who have been cast aside, left without parents, who are hungry for a place to call home
- The moms who come from great hardships and persecution to learn marketable skills at Amani Ju so they can raise their families
- Myself as I realize the ways I have contributed to the struggles of my African brothers and sisters such as wasting water and food and failing to stand up for an end to racism
Blessed be God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies…
- By calling forth men and women with missionary hearts such as Sophie, Hannah, Ann, Ashley, Mary B, Gillie, John, Alex, Dr. John, Sr. Louisa and David
- Through programs such as Change Lives Now, Amani Ju, Mentorship of teens (which is now in development by Change Lives Now)
- By raising up Monika, Nancy, Charles, Francis, Catherine, Timothy and many others who were able to persevere beyond their beginning in the slums, through growing up in the orphanage, going to high school and college to be role models and mentors for the next generation
Blessed be the Holy and Undivided Trinity now and forever! Amen!
Blog contributor, Sr. Beth Henken, MSBT, currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where she is involved with our lay branch, the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate and teaches ESL.
